Door-operating device.



J. S. WILLIAMSON.

DOOR OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLICATIoN min APR.3.1911.

19253.44. Patented m1151918.

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l l Ja J4 l@ t i I l l l I. S. WILLIAMSON.

DOOR OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3. 1917.

Patented Jan. 15, 1918.

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DOOR-OPERATING DEVICE.

Specification ot' Letters Patent.

Patented dan. 15, 1916.,

Application nl edzApril 3, 1917. aerial No. 159,392.

\ToaZZ lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. WILLIAMSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Forest Fark, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful llmprovements in Door-Operating Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The mechanism which is the subject-matterof the present application for patent is designed more partlcularly for garages,

' stables and other buildings in which automobiles or other vehicles are Stored, and it is the object of the invention to provide such building with a novel and improved door-operating means so constructed and arranged that the door' is automatically opened as the vehicle approaches thev doorway, thus obviating the necessity of the driver leaving the vehicle to open the door. The mechanlsm is also operable from the inside of the building, so that the door automatically opens to allow the vehicle to be driven out. The door is also automatically closed after the vehicle passes the same into or out of the building. Y

With the object stated in view, the invention consists in a combination and arrangement of parts to be -hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the ac-- companying drawings` forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings- 1 Figure 1 isa front elevation, partly in section, showing the application of the` invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan View thereof;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a tiltable valve actuating member;

Fig. 4 is a Vertical section of a controlling valve;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line. 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an elevation, partly in section, of a latch mechanism,` and Fig. 8 is a plan view showing the invention applied to a swinging door.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 10 denotes a' fragment of a garage or other building in which an automobile orA other vehicle is stored. The vehicle entersthe building through a doorway 1 1 provlded with a pair of oppositely travellng, slldlng doors 12. A fluid pressure apparatus is provided for operating the doors, said apparatus comprising the following parts:

Above the doors 12 is supported,.in any sultable manner, a cylinder 13 extending parallel to the line of travel of the doors, and containing'a pair of oppositely traveling pistons 14. Each piston has a rod 15, and the rod of one piston extends from one end of the cylinder and is suitably connected to one of the doors, whereas the rod of the other piston extends from the other end of the cylinder and is connected to the other door. Thus, it will be seen that when the pistons travel outward toward the respective cylinder ends the two doors are slid open, and when the pistons travel inwardly toward eachother the doors are slid closed. Fluid pressure, from any suitable source, enters the cylinder midway between the ends, the inlet being shown at 16. The fluid pressure is also letA into the cylinder adjacent each end at 17. When the fluid pressure is let into the cylinder between the pistons, the latter are forced outward to open the doors, and upon admitting Huid pressure at the ends of the cylinder the pistons are forced inward to close the doors.

In the approach to the doorway 11 is mounted a vehicle-actuated valve mechanism whereby the admission of fluid Pressure to the cylinder 13 is controlled. Thls mechanism comprises the followin parts:

A housing 18 is embedded 1n the floor or roadway of the a proach to the doorway 11. This housing 1s closed at the top by a tiltable platform 19 -pivoted y intermediate its ends to a suitable support 20 mounted in the housing. The platform is positioned transversely of the approach to the doorway and it is backed at its ends by springs 21 mounted inthe housing, these springs serving to normally hold the platform level and Hush with the top of the housing and to restore it to this position after it has been depressed and the vehicle passes od of the same. The platform is positioned at the middle of the doorway approach, and the width of the doorway and the approach is such that the vehicle may be driven over one end of the platform to depress this end upon entering the building, and over the other end to depress this end when leaving the building., r1`he platform is therefore tiltable in two directions, which is for a purpose to be presently described.

ln the housing 18 is mounted a valve casaan ing 22 having a fluid pressure inlet 23 at one end, and side outlets 24 and 25 for the fluid pressure. The inlet 23 is connected to the fluid pressure source. The outlet 24 is connected to the cylinder' inlet 16, the connection being made by a pipe 26. A pipe 27 leads from the outlet 25 and has branches 28 connected, respectively, to the end inlets 17 0f the `cylinder 13.

n In the casing 22 is located a slide Valve 29 having a stem 30 which is suitably connected to the platform 19, as shown at 31 in Fig. 3, so that the valve is operated when the platform is tilted. The valve has an exhaust duct 32 adapted to establish com munication between the outlet ports 24 and 25, and an exhaust port 33 in the casing 22.

The operation of the apparatus may be summarized as follows;

The platform 19 is lnormally level as shown in Fig. 3, in which position of the platform the valve 29 is in neutral position, both ports 24 and 25 being covered so that the fluid pressure is shut off from the cylinder 13. When the vehicle approaches the doorway 11 on the right, as shown dotted in Fig. 2, the wheels pass over the corresponding end of the platform19 and depress this end, whereupon the valve 29 is pushed down in the casing 22 to uncover the port 24 and to place the duct 32 in communlcation with the ports 25 and 33. The fluid pressure entering` the casing 22 now passes out of the same through the port 24 and travels through the pipe 26 to the cylinder inlet 16 and is thus admitted to the cylinder 13 between the' pistons 14, whereupon they are forced outward and the doors 12 are slid open. Y Any pressure between the pistons and the cylinder ends escapes through the pipes 28 and 27, the port 25, duct 32, and exhaust port 33. When the vehicle wheels pass off the plat,- form 19, the latter is restored to its normal position and the valve 29 is pulled back to neutral position. Inside the building is located a platform actuated valve mechanism which is a duplicate of the one hereinbefore described, but which operates in a reverse manner. Thus, when the vehicle passes over the platform 34 of this mechanism inside the building, fluid pressure is admitted to the ends of the cylinder 13 through the inlets 17, and the pistons 14 are forced inward to close the doors. The fluid pressure be tween the pistons previously admitted esf capes through the exhaust port of the valve device controlled by the platform 34. When the vehicle is to be run out of the building, the left side of the platform 34 is depressed, whereupon the doors are opened, and when the vehicle depresses the platform 19, the

valve 29 is pulled upward in the casing to uncover the outlet 25, whereupon fluid pressure is admitted to the cylinder ends to close the doors.

In connection with the dooroperating mechanism, there is also provided a latch 35 for locking the doors 12. This latch is a plate having a bottom edge recess 36 in which seat keeper pins 37 when the doors are closed, and upon lifting the plate off the pins, the doors are free to slide open. The ends of the latch plate are beveled so that the plate may slip over the pins and come in holding position when the doors slide closed.

The latch 35 is carried by the stem 38 of a piston 39 working in a fluid pressure cylinder 40 obtaining its motive fluid from a connection 41 with the pipe which delivers the fluid pressure for opening the doors. Thus, before the pistons 14 start to open the doors, the piston 39 is forced upward in the cylinder 40 to disengage the latch 35 from the keeper pins 37.

Fig. 8 shows a fluid pressure cylinder 42 having a single piston 43 connected by a rod 44 to one of a pair of swinging doors 45. The other one`46 of the doors swings with the door 45, a connection being provided whereby the two doors are voperated together. This connection comprises a 'lever 47 fulcrumed at 48 on the door frame 49a and having one end connected to the door 45, with its other end connected by a link 49 to a lever 50 fulcrumed at 51 to the door frame 49a and connected to the door 46.

I claim:

A dooroperating mechanism comprising a fluid pressure actuated mechanism adapted to be connected to the door to open and to close the same, a valve mechanism controlling the admission of fluid pressure to the aforesaid mechanism, and vehicle-operated tiltable members connected to the valve mechanism for actuating the same, and tiltable in planes parallel to the plane of the door when closed. said members being adapted to be positioned on opposite sides of the door, and each being tiltable in two directions, the tilting movement of the outer member in one direction admitting Huid pressure to open the door and in theother direction admitting fluid pressure to close the door, and the tilting movement of the inside member admitting fluid pressure reversely.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN S. IVILLIAMSON.

Witnesses:

E. WAL'roN BREWINGTON, HOWARD D. ADAMS. 

